Brassiere



Dec. 12, 1944. M. H. HATTON 2,364,899

BRASSIERE Filed April 17, 1944 Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRASSIERE Mabel H. Hatton, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application April 17, 1944, Serial No. 531,357

2 Claims.

My invention has to do with brassire garments, and has among its objects the provision of a brassire which aifords comfortable breast support without binding the body of the wearer, which permits or free and uninhibited physical movement of the body without disturbing the 1 position of the garment, which is so constructed as not to be visible in the back when worn with low-backed gowns, which eliminates pinching of the body of the wearer, and which prevents the shoulder straps of the garment from slipping off the shoulders.

It is a well-known objection to conventional brassieres that, through the shoulder straps, the weight of the breasts causes the back portion of the garment to ride up the back, permitting sagging and wrinkling in front. The wrinkling, which occurs immediately below the breast cups, tends to pinch the body of the wearer, particularly where the body-encircling member is drawn tightly, as is necessary in conventional brassieres. Another shortcoming of conventional brassires is their binding efiect, since they are necessarily drawn taut around the body and fastened, like a belt, in the back. A still further objection to conventional brassieres. is that the shoulder straps are not maintained in suflicient tension at all times to prevent them from slipping over the shoulders.

I am aware that attempts have been made to overcome those shortcomings by anchoring the belt-like body-encircling member to some wraistencircling garment such as a belt, but while this type of garment provides positive breast support, it utilizes a body constricting, belts-like member which has a binding effect and inhibits free physical movement of the body of the wearer. Also they may not be worn with low-backed gowns.

I am also aware that further attempts have been made to overcome those objections by crossing and wrapping the free ends of the brassire around the body, tying the free ends together at the front of the body, but such structure has a very objectionable binding effect and does not provide such positive support as will prevent sagging and wrinkling at the front.

My improved garment effectively overcomes all those objections by means of an extremely simple structure wherein, instead of utilizing a bodyconstricting belt-like member, I extend the sides or free ends of the brassiere diagonally crosswise in a direct line from the breast cups to a point of anchorage to a waist-encircling member in the back and s disposing the shoulder straps as to fully support the breasts from the waistencircling member.

My invention has other and subordinate objects and advantages and those will become apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which I have chosen for explanatory purposes, and in connection with which description I shall refer to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation;

Fig 2 is a perspectiveview;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the garment on a wearer; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the fastening means.

In the drawing, I show generally at 5 the body of breast-covering member, which is in the form of an elongated strip hemmed at its side edges 5a and presenting breast-receiving cups 6. The strip has end extension straps l secured to the front portion by means of V-shaped gussets 8. The free ends of the extension straps have secured thereto elastic members la looped at their extreme free ends for attachment to a waistencircling member H] as by fasteners ll. Immediately adjacent their free ends, the extensions 1 are crossed, as shown at [2.

A pair of shoulder straps [5 are provided, one end of one of the straps being secured at the front to the top edge of one of the cups and extending over the shoulder of the wearer to a point adjacent the cross I2 Where it is secured to one of the extension straps l. The other strap [5 is likewise mounted and disposed with respect to the other cup and extension.

By this construction and disposition of the parts, the extension straps I extend directly downwardly and rearwardly from the respective cups to their point of attachment to the waistencircling member, so that they form an X in the back. Thus tension is provided between the point of attachment of the shoulder straps in the front to the point of anchorage to the waist-encircling member, the shoulder straps being supported from the waist-encircling member. There can thus be no sagging or wrinkling at the front, and the garment cannot ride up in back. Also extreme comfort and uninhibited body movement are provided, while the X shape in the back permits of wearing low-backed gowns with my garment. Moreover, regardless of physical contortions of the body of the wearer, the shoulder straps are maintained in comfortable but ample tension to prevent them from slipping off the shoulders.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the free ends of the extensions 1 are detachably anchored to the waist-encircling member In by the U-shaped fas- I claim:

1. -A brassire having a body adapted to cover the breast portion of the wearers body and having cup portions for receiving the breasts, said body being of such length that its opposite ends terminate adjacent the armpits of the wearer, and means for retaining said body in said breast covering position, comprising extension strap means carried by each of the opposite ends of the body and extending diagonally downwardly and crosswise of each other from the respective ends of the body to the rear waist portion of the wearer whereby not to cover or constrict the upper back portion of the wearer, shoulder straps attached at their ends to the body and to the respective extension strap means, and means for anchoring the free ends of the extension straps at the waist of the wearer.

2'. A brassiere having a body adapted to cover the breast portion of the wearers body and having cup portions for receiving the breasts, said body being of such short length that it does not extend into covering relationship to the back of the wearer, and means for retaining said body in breast covering position, comprising extension strap means carried by each of the opposite ends of the body and extending diagonally downwardly and crosswise of each other from the respective ends of the body to the rear waist portion of the wearer whereby not to cover or constrict the upper back portion of the wearer, said extension straps being unattached to each other, shoulder.

straps attached at their ends to the body and to the respective extension strap means, and means for anchoring the free ends of the extension straps at the waist of the wearer.

MABEL H. HA'ITON. 

